Turbo pump



Dec. 30, 1930. v. scHLEYER 1,787,088

TURBO PUMP Filed Jan. l0. 1927 SshetS-Shet 5 jj 5' Avi@ y 87 7\ A RTW Patented Dec.Y 30, 1930 VICTOR SGHL'EYER, oFeANDERsoN, INDIANA TURBO rUMr Application filed January 10, 1927. `Serial No. 160,198.

It is theobject of my invention to providea centrifugal pumping means, more especially a turbine-driven vertical-shaft water pump l as kfor supplying boiler-feed water, which is compact and rugged in structure, is readily accessible for inspection and repair, has a main bearing which is an anti-friction bearing directlyaccessible from the top, and has certain advantagesin construction and operation which willappear from the following specification. y

In carrying out my ,invention Vin the preferred form illustrated, I provide a vertical shaft which ha-s a main anti-friction bearingk at or near ylts upper end,fwh1ch carries a turbine rotor at 'an intermediate point near the 'upper end and the runners of one or more stages of aI centrifugal pump at or near the lower end, with a steady bearing between the turbine and the pump'. vAbove and below the turbine rotorI provide novel glands each of `which has a plurality of axially loose packing rings within'it; which glands I indmost effective in kpreventing leakage, especially when the turbine exhaust is against a high, back pressure. "Between the upper of such glands and the main anti-friction bearing I mount on the shaft an umbrella which serves to protect the bearing in case thereis leak` age through such gland; and makethis umbrella serve the three-fold purpose of deflecting any leakage steam through such gland, of carrying fan blades which serve both as `Ventilating fan blades and as blades which throw outward any steam escaping through such gland, and ofl carrying a centrifugally operated device .which controlsa trip for a throttle in the steam-supply line. The main bearing and the steady bearing are both desirably jacketed bearings for cooling in warm weather and heating in cold weather, for cooling purposes convenientlyfbeing supplied with cool water from the pump when the pump is awaterpump, which cool water may be taken from between two stages of the pump if it is a multi-stage pump. I desirably make the pump such amulti-stage pump, and provide a stationary member which forms part of both stages and integrally' carries dilfusers' for both stages. In such a multi-stage pump,

'lower stage. VIn eitherk case, especially the"55 former, I `provided diEerential areas fac-ing opposite axial directions on the pump runners for getting any desired balance and floating efeeteon the rotatingrr element as a whole. Whether the pump is a single stageor a multi-f 6o stagepump, I provideits fluid-inlet and fluid outlet connections in the casing in a manner which permits the removal-of the pump run-v ner or runnersandthe' internal pump mechanism without disturbing' suc'h connectionrc Further, I provide inthe fluid inlet for the pump, especially if the pump Ais used as a feed-water pump, a strainer arrangedso that it will not interfere with the freeow'of water and so that it can yreadily be removed, refic placed, inspected, and cleaned .without disturbing anyof the `fluid connections to the f pump or to the 'source of water-supply. f The'accompanying' drawings illustrate my invention Fig. l'is a vertical central sec-+75 Ation through a turbo-,pump embodying" a ijireferr'ed form of my invention, the' section being taken substantially on the line l-l of F ig. 2, though with therotating 'element slightly turned on its'axis to show the entire se centrifugalv device without foreshortening; Y rFig. :2 is a -horizontalsection substantially on the `line 2 2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is vertical section Vsubstantially on thel line 3-3 of Fig. 1;;Fig. 4c is a disassembled yview of the partss, constituting the vlower portion of Fig. l, to show how they can be removed and replaced; Fig'. `5 is afragmental sectional View generally similar to the lower part of Fig. l, but showing a modification in which the two' 9c y stages of a two-stage pump are arranged back to back, with the inlet of the first stage open- ;ing upward 'andthe inlet of the second stage opening downwarch'the sectionY being taken on the line 5.-5 of Figsq and 7; and Figs. Gf 95 andV are yfragmental sections on the lines 6 6 and a-7; respectively of Fig. 5, to show the arrangement ofthe diffusers of the two stagesv of the pump and the associated passages thereof. I icc The vertical shaft l() carries all the rotating parts both of the prime mover, which is At its upper end, the shaft 10 is supportedI- in a ball-bearing 15, Which is the main bearing with which the -shaftspmvided. :This ball-bearing 15 has its outer race 16 clamped linY a bearing-housing Itop- 17 by afreinovable cap 18, which cap extendsover fthe upper' end `ofthe sha-ft lOfandmaybememoved tofgive access tosuchiipperend and tothe ball bearingL`-The ballbearing'lhas its inner race "19 :clamped in placefonthe shafft,1(:together with f butterfly valve 4carries ay latch-arm 51, vwhich certain other yparts y `later to be 'described,) by` a nut-v 2O1on`A the shaft-'endtjust :belowl lthe removable cap 18. Thebearinglhousin'gltop 17is reniovablymounted onf a bearing Thous- Y ber from: Which-oil* is circulatedl throughthe shaft l() blelovv the inner` race'l-)by the` nut 20 gfandfvvhich -hasian-o'uter jacket chamber v 151,-.:1such latch-arms is; moved upward, (or

' 1 charge-pipe 25 connected vinl a imann'errlater to be fcle'scribed.

" Tl-ieb'earing housing mis-mounted on top The turbine v housing:y 30f-1isrf provided @with glands 32 and33 Which surround the shaft l() abovek and belovv the turbine .rotor 31.; Much diiiiculty was experiencedfro-m Vleak-,.1

" age through Athese glands Whentheywvere box.

found thatthis leakage is Valmost vWholly avoided, and that the vlife-.of Lthe packing materialis increased, by providing the'glands witha pluralityof fairly loosepacking'rings 34v less than sufficient to fillith'e-gland-box, sovthat apressure space 35 is left inthe: gland` Any steam lfrom the turbine casing*v Which tends to get into the gland-boXes occupies the spaces 35; andthe loosepacking rings v34, Which rotate lgenerally:Withfthel shaft base at a less speed and'at least at times 4at di'lier'ent speeds Aamong themselves, appar-- e'ntly assume positions; among themselves, i

probably With some shifting-1 among. .themselves in operation, that e'fectively'fserves to ring' 34r farthest from the rotor. 3l Vinl each gland 32 andi 33 vmakes an effective seal. against the associatedfstationary .gland-fol? n levver y36, which is made integralor :otherwise: '61`vand movesfit-to disengage the'latch finger so that the'follo'vver Will not 'rotate S'Withthe non-rotatable :relative Ato f the gland-nut: 37

shaft. This construction is found to be very effective in reducing leakage of steam from the turbine around the shaft.

The turbine is shown as a singlestage turbine, having a live steam inlet nozzle 40, and a re-entrant nozzle 4l; but this is merely s 4for fthe V sake of.;illustration,,as ,theV4 fact that althezturbine is sliow'nxasv a re-entrant singlev-i'alve Y 50, -which `is' shoivnf` as 'oi' the butterfly type. (SeeFi-gs; land 2.) -The-shaft ofthis Lis acted on' by fa torsion spring 52 tending tozfmove'the butterfly valveiO-to vclosed position,whicli isfthe. horizontal position o-'Fig l. rllhe latch-arm 5l may co-operate :ivith a `:latchinger y53 :which at normal speeds holds the latch-arm lvhorizontal! and ,the throttle valve, 501open. When fthe latch fingei- 53 is'diseiigagedufrom the end of :thejla'tch-arin 'coun-ter-iclockwiseiin Fig. l-)bymhe spring 52 to movei-thethrottle valve 50V toV closed posigtion. The shaft ofthe-:throttle-valve maybe @providedvvitha `second arm. 54, which is shownvas movable between tivo-,stops 55 and '5 6' 1 for -ithe:open-throttleI andf closed-throttle ypositions of -the'throttle valve 50; and to the .endvof-.thisisecond yarm A54 vthere may be attachee a :pull-cablenf'z eilt/endingV rugvv'ard fthrough. a' f floor 58-v` on :which "the operator 4 1 stands,"such Aa'sfthe Hoor of the cab of aflocomade as ordinarypacking glands; and I have..V

`motive, 'so' thatfby,pullingupvvard on such cable-*57 'the throttleval-ve 50' may be moved ifThe' latclftinger" "53: is mounted on avertical 'Which-extends substantially'ftangentially to ythexpathofral centriffugally operated plunger 1.62 kmouiited in aboss 63`on the under side of an umbrella disk 64 tiX'edzonthe sh'aft'lOand rotatable therewith; f This vumbrella 4diskl 64 @mayihave a supporting sleeveforhubby which L-itfis clamped`r in place fon the shaft bythe nut 'T20 Valoiigffvvith' theinner ball race 1-9 and the ifoilf-'linger 22. I-'Thefplunger 62 .is a-'radial v-fplun'geig spring-pressed inward in the lug l63 reduce leakageto a minimum. The packing -eeeds fa A:predetermined value, the f outer end of" thexplunger162-stirikes thef operating `iin ger from'the latch arm.- 51, soxthatthe spring lll) 52 may close the throttle valve 50 to yshut off the supply of steam to the turbine` u "The umbrella disk 64 not onlyserves to carry Athev plunger 62,' `but also' serves two other purposes: "First, it serves asan umbrella or delector-betw'een the gland 32 and the ball-bearing so that if 'anyf steam-does 'escapethrcugh the gland 32,l it is deiiected outward by 'suoli umbrelladisktv and prevented from reaching the housing of the which assist in'throwingoutward any steam escaping upward through the glandl 32 and also produce an air circulation-which assists in cooling the entire device. Y To this end,

i that portionA of the turbine'housing 3() which surrounds the gland nut 37'and the-umbrella disk 64 and its carried'lparts'is made as a skeleton housing, i y

` The device as a whole may be supported by the turbine casing 30, -in any convenient manner, as by having attaching lugs providedat convenient pointsfonthe periphery 'of 'saidturbine casing.` I have shown only one attaching lug-68, but there may' be anydesire'd number, 1 I

Below the-turbine housing 30 are successively an intermediate housing '70 and a pump housing 71. Theintermediate housing 70' furnishes a supportfor a steady bearing=72, "which is a plain bearinglscrewdnounted in "an internall boss 74fpr'ovided on an intermediate''housingy 70.1 The bearing 72 has the usual glandf75 y'at lits upper end', and 4may 1 be provided with any lubricant-supply means,

such as a grease cup 76'. vThe plainbea'ring' i 72 is desirablyprovided with a acket jcham- 4 ber 77, having al completely open periphery Ythe internal boss' 7 4;and at its lower end has i 'water-'outlet openings7 9 which communicate' at anv intermediate height to` communicate4 witha Water-supply passage 78 provided in wit-ha mainfwatersinlet passage 80provided 'in the intermediate housing 70.` This mainV water-inletpassage 80 also supplieswater 'lforfassisting in lubricating the bearing surf faces of the steady bearing-:72 for facilitat` l ing which Water lubrication,fwhich is vpartly by capillarity and partly bygravity, the

' water-inlet` passage has its -inlet end elevated so that the normal water/level in such y i passage will 'stand higher than the lower end oi the steady'bearing.` v A Y The main water-inlet passage180 commu 1 nicates' with `the `upwardly opening.. inlet eye 383" ofv th'ecentrifugal pump, 'which is located at the lower' end ofjthe shaft 10, so that' the steady bearing7 2 zliesxbetweenithe pump and '5 1 vthe: turbine.:v The"` pump may consist of' anyy `desired; number of stages,but is desirably a `two-stage pump having two rotors 84 and 85 'fixed on the shaftlO at different levels. Removably mounted in the pump casing 71 is a diffuser body 86, which has diii'user vanes 1 between the diiuser body 86 and the intermediate casing 7 0 and between the diffuser body 'and a bottom capl'plate 89 respectively. The

bottom cap-plate 89 covers the lower end of the shaftlO;A

This construction permits ready inspec tion and removal 'of the parts in the manner 'shown in Fig. "4.' The lower cap-plate 89 may be'removed to `give access to the lower runner 85,'and`to'the passages between thelower diifuser vanes 88, as wel'lias vto the passages (to be described) through such diiusers in the modication shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. This permits the removal of thelower runner 85, then of the .diiuser86, and thenvor` the upper runner ,84.V By making the diiuser vanes 87 Land 88integral with the diffuser body 86,man'ufacture and assembly are facilitated; for the lower face of the intermediate housingO and the' upper "face of the lower cap-plate 89, which are the end-plates of the pump, may both be made asfiat machined surfaces Where theyrco-o'perate with the edges" of the 'adjacent diff-user vanes. The passages between" vthe lower diffuser vanes 88-'openinto 'an involute discharge! chamber 90 communicating with a Waterdischarge pipe 91, l p i --The pipe 91j'and the Water supply passage 78i`or supplying water to thev jacket chambers-ofthe' main lbearing, `15 and steady` v:bearing 52l mayv be connected lto the discharge ofthe. iirst'stage of the pump, as is indicatedinFig. '1; and the pipe 25, as well vas the Water-outlet openings 79 may dischargerinto the main"Water-'inlet` passage 80. l f Thetwo pumprunners 83 and 84 may both have their vsuction f eyes opening'v upwardly, as shown inlfFiggfl; In thaty case, the diffuser bodyf86 hasp'assages 93 which carry the water dischargedfrom betweenthe upperV "diu'ser vanes 87jinward to they inletl pointpump runner, which rings rotate withv the runner and are received in annular grooves in 'co-operating stationary Wearing or seal- -ing rings 'mounted kin the stator ofthe pump.

The'Y diameters yof the' dierentv sealingrings 94 mayhave'any desired relation, to produce any desiredfrelation ,between the areas .of

the upper and :lo-wer suraces-ofthe tgwo Irimv ners 4outward from theirrespectiveweaning rings, Aand :thus ,tof produceanyY` desi-red :resu1tant.thrust onthe shaft A05 hy-Lxthe` Vreaction of thefwater under pressure onfsuchzexw The` resultant lpressure'. or ythrust referred@ isinproportion.tothe algebraicsum oi the upper and lower,. ,runner-faces, g one being considered .asA positive-and Athe .other as, nega'- tive; and while this resultant may'gbemade Yanything desired,l the combined area ofj the Y exposed upper .surfaces g of :the two I.p tjlnfip runners is made. vslightly :greater than'the l eomhinedy area.: offthe zexposeddower surfac-es thereof,-. so that itherewvill he la.. sli,g1;- ht ,20 resultant ,downward thrust from; f die Vpresf s ures on vlsuchsurfaces; to1oompensate= for the lifting tendeny l from having the .inlets to both pump runners opening'rupward.

This liftingtendeney may. be. reduced, and

A the necessityfonthebalaneing or. compensating fthrust'correspondingly'reduced or even tions. :Sucha construotion is shown. -in.Figs.

30.55, 6,..a.nd7. i111 that ease, .the inlet eyeof :the upper pump runner opens jupward, and

`Vdiff-user venes Bf?.- of theuppel etage are; as shown in Fig. 6, and between .adjacent pper diffuser l valles `87' the ididuser; b dy @is proivided;with openings 100 which.e leadsginto a A40 1 circumferential.chamber 101 in y the :diffiiser vbodyb etweengthetwo pump-stages. f'lhe-dif- -vfuser vanesBS of the lower pumpgstagefare .ma-de hollow, as; is best shown iniEjg; 7 ,11 to .provide passages 1,02 wwhieh A lead down -.ehin'nher 1,103 provided in-the, lower .capfplate fdownwardlyiopening. eye of- Qthe lower, pump ...runner 83-V in :this modioation ;Y and such 5o -lower-spump:runner discharges outwardly zthrough;thegspacesbetweena-the d iuser,z vaines 88 into-the. in voli'itechamber, 90. f :Thisg-.baoktofbaekxarrangementt ofithe two pumpfsta-ges has considerable advantage. v

InqmanyiPumps,.as' for instance. in-j. boiler 'feed-.water \,p\111f 1ps, itis desirable: forxlthe'V sake Lofsafety to use asstrainer to preventsolidV 1 .matter nrom ...being carried .intese the lpump.

' 60: passage r801asrar11ateral- .outletj from aeylin- =drical easing 110,:shown-.as horizontal casl. ing which casing .hasfflanges 'lill at. its two ends.` to? receive i `cap-'plates*.112 andill` which f. @lamp between thema-ey1indricaLwire screen B5.; 114,:5withinbutfspacedifiromtheiwalls -ofithe the, .addition of. aaimaii bearing., having 13o Segel@toatheewiirhave@ a removablejplpg ,1.16,-A by` Athe removal pI'O-Ylderd a5 Cgnill'alif Qv [ung H for receiving@ pipe.l`15.' lThe-'w t -posed portions ofeftheuppenand glowen. -.s ur v acesjoithe twogpump runners. t Thiswillhe v. apparent -fronrfthe lfact that thead'ferent rings 94 larefshown as -of diderentfdiameters.

der, and Y,thencefthrouglithe,waterinlenpasl @aimes myinrentio =l 1.1m combietiomfw turbo-pump hav-Ying a vertial sliagftya single. n1ain antfriction l1lfrlerirls ,Slippertss .,Seidwshef eed; .lobeted at the top thereof, a steadylbearin'gr-Iiearthewo ling, and .a multi-stage pumpzmountedgonfthe 35 Y `.sliaftghelovv.the'steady;hearing. p Y the inlet eye ofthe lower lpuinpr-unner, )pens `downward. lI-This.requiresa special .arrange- 2. In combination, ay tnrho- .pumpAT having a i vertical ishiyft, a singlemanaantietion ,bewies-2Supportingsaidzsheftfend loatedfat the, mp .therebffosteadyf :bearing .-nearfrhe e100 lower end offgthe shaft, taasteam. turbine locatedbewenfthewQtbearingSf-wd ,kering v, a-fyertioalg shaft,-r f a 'singlef-tinain; kantifriction bearing-Supporting saidzshft frndfloctedat catedA betweenpthmtwobearings and having a: gland-between it'v and .each bearing, each glandxheingw spaeedf `froirrthe adjacent. bearing, and. a pump mounted-.onatheshaft below Y'the:estealy bearing, said, .pump Ihavin its --in- .let -openingupwardaronndrthe-sha thelow .said-steady bearing.

f; 4. A f turbofpump,:comprising a vertical wshaft, ar.. turbine rotor fmounted jon; the :upper .120

part Vof said:shaftf;a='turbinegfhousingsaround ,sadaturbine-.rotor, 1a;;p11mp having one or vmore-.runners mountedonithe slowen end of said shaft and including.;apumpghousing,

:.andnan-L: v'intermedia'te,housing :mounted bev,125

tweefn-=` the i. turbine.v housing and rthepump housing .andy provided `evi/ith '1 aiwatersupply passgefleading.toztheipumpinlet.

a housing mounted on top of the turbine housing, and a steady bearing mounted in said intermediate housing.

6. A turbo pump, comprising a Vertical shaft, a turbine and a pumphaving their rotating parts carried by said shaft, a main anti-friction bearing carrying said shaft and located at the upper end thereof above both the turbine and the pump, a steady bearing on said shaft at an intermediate point between the turbine and the pump, said bearings both being provided with jacket chambers, and conduits for supplying cooling Huid to said jacket chambers.

7. A turbo pump, comprising a Vertical shaft, a turbine and a pump having their rotating parts carried bysaid shaft, a bearing carrying said shaft at the upper end thereof and located above both the turbine and the pump, a bearing on said shaft at an intermediate point between the turbine and the pump, said bearings both being provided with jacket chambers, and conduits for supplying cooling Huid to said jacket chambers.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 6th day of January, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and twenty-seven.

VICTOR SCHLEYER. 

